Apremilast efficacy and safety in a psoriatic arthritis patient affected by HIV and HBV virus infections

ABSTRACT

Treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in patients with concomitant chronic, severe viral infections, particularly HIV or HBV, represents a challenge, due to contraindication to conventional immunomodulating systemic drugs and biologics, including anti-TNF alpha, anti-IL12/23, and anti-IL17 agents. Recently, apremilast, a selective inhibitor of phosphodiesterase E4 has been suggested to be a safe and effective therapeutic option in HIV-infected population with psoriatic arthritis. We report the case of a patient with psoriatic arthritis and concomitant HIV and HBV infection successfully treated with apremilast.

KEYWORDS:

• Apremilast
• HIV
• psoriasis
• psoriatic arthritis

Declaration of interest

Maria Esposito has served as a consultant, speaker and board member for Abbvie, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Biogen. Elena Campione had a research grant from Celgene. Luca Bianchi has served as a consultant, speaker and board member for Celgene, Abbvie, Pfizer. Alessandro Giunta has served as a consultant and speaker for Biogen, Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Abbvie. He had a research grant from Biogen and Pfizer. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties. A peer reviewer on this manuscript is an employee of Mount Sinai and received research funds from: Abbvie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Incyte, Janssen/Johnson & Johnson, Leo Pharmaceuticals, Medimmune/Astra Zeneca, Novartis, Pfizer, Sciderm, Valeant, and ViDac. They are also a consultant for Allergan, Aqua, Boehringer-Ingelheim, LEO Pharma, Menlo, Mitsubishi, Promius, and Theravance. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no other relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This manuscript was not funded.